Transurethral collagen denaturation for women with stress urinary incontinence.

Transurethral collagen denaturation was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2005 for the nonsurgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women. In this procedure, controlled, nonablative radiofrequency energy applied through a transurethral probe produces microscopic submucosal sites of collagen denaturation, resulting in reduced tissue compliance. Treatment is administered in about 30 minutes in an outpatient setting without incisions, general anesthesia, or use of cystoscopy or other visualization. The safety and efficacy of this treatment were demonstrated in a pilot trial in 41 women and then in a subsequent 12-month sham procedure-controlled trial in more than 170 women. Ongoing clinical trials include a 3-year, open-label durability study and an evaluation of this technique in women who have failed prior surgical intervention. To date, patients who received transurethral collagen denaturation have experienced improvements in quality of life and in Valsalva leak point pressure. This procedure presents a beneficial nonsurgical treatment option for women with stress urinary incontinence.